Conditions key to Century Dream’s Sussex Stakes challenge

Soft ground required for Crisford runner at Goodwood.

Ground conditions will dictate whether Century Dream will return to Group One level for a tilt at the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Having been narrowly denied a third win in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom on Derby day, Simon and Ed Crisford’s stable stalwart notched his first victory of the campaign and the 10th of his career in the Listed Midsummer Stakes at Windsor on Saturday.

The seven-year-old ran out an impressive winner of the Celebration Mile at Goodwood last summer and could return to the Sussex Downs for a potential clash with the likes of Palace Pier and Poetic Flare on July 28 – but only if conditions are in his favour.

“We were delighted with him at Windsor. He did it nicely and liked the ground,” said Ed Crisford.

“We have no immediate targets with him – we’ll obviously just follow the rain.

“He’s a seven-year-old now, so he’s an old boy, but he always shows a lot of enthusiasm and we’ve just got to pick and choose our targets depending on where the ground is right for him.

“He’s in the Sussex Stakes and if it did go soft or worse, I’m sure he’d be running in it.”

Century Dream is a general 33-1 shot for the Sussex Stakes, with John and Thady Gosden’s multiple Group One winner Palace Pier the marginal favourite at 11-8 over Jim Bolger’s 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes hero Poetic Flare at 9-4.

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